Elizabeth Martinez announces candidacy for Allentown School Board

Allentown School Board member Elizabeth Martinez will be seeking her first full term on the board.

Martinez, who was appointed to the board in July 2014, announced Thursday she will run Thursday. She serves on the board's education and finance committee, along with the library committee.

"As a lifelong resident of the City of Allentown and a proud graduate of William Allen High School, I care very deeply about the quality of education offered at district schools," Martinez said in a news release. "The future of our children and our city depends on lifting the standards at our schools. I want to help restore excellence to the district and pride in the district to the city."

Martinez, a Democrat, has spent a decade counseling teenagers at Alliance Hall in downtown Allentown, according to a news release. Her two sons played football and graduated from Allen High School.

The news release says she also a member of the Hamilton District Main Street Program of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Lehigh Valley Children's Committee.

She works as a legislative assistant for state Re. Peter Schweyer and is a member of the Life Church in Allentown.

In the fall, Martinez voted against naming a football field after Hall of Famer Andre Reed. At the time, Martinez said she couldn't support changing the field's name to Andre Reed Field because of an argument Reed and another Dieruff High graduate had on Facebook. Reed used the F-word, and Martinez called his language "strong, very strong."

Martinez is one of several candidates for school board expected to have the support of a political action committee formed by Mayor Ed Pawlowski and State Reps. Schweyer and Mike Schlossberg. The committee is putting forth a slate of candidates for school directors as well as city council and controller.

Five of nine positions on the school board are due for renewal in 2015 – three held by Democrats Charlie Thiel, Martinez and Ce-Ce Gerlach and two held by Republicans Scott Armstrong and Bob Smith. In addition to Thiel, the slate is expected to support Martinez and newcomers Audrey Mathison and Marc Telesha.